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Alex Anderson, Ceramic Artist and Urban Unicorn | @100alexanderson

Alex Anderson is a young ceramic artist and Seattle native who was introduced to ceramics in high school and found himself enthralled by it, thereby spending all his free time in the studio creating. Even with the passion for the arts, he had it wasn’t until he attended the prestigious Swarthmore College where he majored in Studio Art and Chinese that he got the courage to switch his major and focus on the arts. This was a big leap of faith for him, especially since both of his parents are lawyers. Alex was inspired to switch to the arts by a female African-American professor who told him he was good enough to make a living pursuing his art. His pieces are focused on capturing life and death in still form with an emphasis on nature.

After his undergraduate work, Alex Anderson was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and studied at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He is a young mind with an eclectic and unique sense of style who seems to have a real understanding of the business of art. He gets inspiration from his environment and you can tell that his style and art have been greatly influenced by his time spent in China. From his golden tip shoes to his sharp, and sometimes patterned blazers, one glance at Anderson lets you know that he is marching to his own drumbeat. He exhibits an elegance far beyond his years.

Anderson has shown that as a student of art, taking advantage of education and learning opportunities can make the difference between striving artists and struggling artists. When you hear him talk about his art you will get a sense he is creating pieces that will last for centuries to come. He creates living, compelling pieces that capture still life and are such a remarkable resemblance to the real thing that the results are just enthralling.
He states, “There are tea bowls in Japan that are six inches tall and cost a million dollars because they are made by master tea bowl makers. Not because of the materials they are made of but because of the value that the artist ascribes to them.” When asked how to market your art Anderson says the best thing to do is “Make your best work, then find venues where you can display.” He states that he realized at an early age “in art at first nobody cares, but after you take advantage of the opportunities your work gets more respected. The artists decides their place in the market.”

Alex Anderson is happy with his independent success but is yearning for even more knowledge and growth as an artist.In the Fall of 2015, he will begin his graduate studies at UCLA in their MFA ceramics program. At age 24, he hopes to spend some more time travelling as he continues his quest to spiritual and artistic enlightenment. Anderson thinks with increased notoriety and financial means he will be able to calm down a little more but at the same time take more risks in his art and create even more unique pieces. Listening to Anderson talk about his goals, is reminiscent of a young Jeff Koons.

One of Alex’s goals is to create more opportunities for people who look like him and make sure he can connect with fine African American artists because sometimes he feels like a unicorn in a World where there are few artists who practice in his medium and share his heritage..

For more information on Alex Anderson, including his artist statement, CV, portfolio and catalogue, supporters can visit www.andersonceramics.org.